Just a Different Ending(?)
by Lillian Smith
Summary: Book#1: What if Nikki never stopped to see who won in the Avant-Garde Art Competition? Will she leave the school? What will Chloe, Zoey and Brandon think? One-shot!


**Hello there everyone! So, this is my second Dork Diaries fic and it'll be a one-shot. Hopefully, you guys like it! ;)**

 ** _Rated: K+_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Dork Diaries._**

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 **Just a Different Ending**

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

My parents and I drove over to WCD forty-five minutes early so we could get everything taken care of before the students started arriving.

As Mom and Dad sat in the office chatting with the secretary and completing the school-transfer certificate, I couldn't help noticing the colourful displays off the main entryway for the art competition.

Of course, I tried to ignore it. Because all it did was remind me of the watercolour fiasco.

And, of course, I knew that the winner was none other than MacKenzie Hollister. It is always MacKenzie Hollister.

When I already knew who the winner was, what's the use of checking it?

When I already knew that looking at would only remind me of my watercolour fiasco, why should I look at it?

"Well, I better get going," I muttered to my parents. I grabbed the empty cardboard box I had bought to carry the junk from my locker and headed down the hall.

The art exhibit was set up in the large student lounge near the cafeteria and was probably divided by grades. I ran past all these artwork. I didn't want to be reminded of the watercolour fiasco.

When I reached my locker, I noticed that the 'Bug Girl' stuff had been cleaned, and instead there was something else: a note.

 _Nikki,_

 _Please meet us in the janitor's closet ASAP!_

 _It's_ _very_ _,_ _very_ _important!_

 _Chloe and Zoey_

Okay, so first of all, my 'friends' totally ditched me, and when I called them yesterday, they IGNORED me, and NOW they want to meet me saying that it was important? How was I to believe them?

But I thought that I'd better go to them. After all, it would be the last time I see them. And I decided that after our little talk, I'll clean out my locker, and then get out of there.

I knocked the door of the janitor's closet and peeked inside.

Chloe and Zoey were sitting on the floor in a corner and looking pretty sad.

"We owe you an apology for the way we acted," Chloe said, "We got carried away with all of the tattoo and book stuff. And that wasn't fair to you."

"Yeah! And we learned who our real friends are too. The CCPs wanted to hand out with us as long as you were doing the tattoos. What a bunch of phonies!" Zoey added.

I was surprised. I stopped doing the tattoos on Friday. If they realized that I was their real friend on Friday, then WHY did they ignore me on Monday, when I called them?

Wait, so were they trying to use me AGAIN?

So I took a deep breath and said, "Listen, it doesn't matter anymore."

"So does that mean that we're back to being BFFs again?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe," I said, "If you guys explain to me WHY you ignored me on Monday, when you realized who your actual friends were on Friday, we could be friends back again."

"There's a reason behind that, Nikki," Zoey said softly, "We weren't really trying to ignore you-"

"THEN WHAT?!" I blurted, "Are you trying to use me AGAIN? But anyway, like I said, it doesn't matter anymore now! I'm leaving this stupid school and NEVER returning back! Since all you did was just waste my time, I'm outta here!"

Chloe and Zoey's eyes widened and they gasped. I went forward and tried to open the janitor's closet door, but Zoey stood in front of it and prevented me from going out.

"Nikki," Zoey said, "you can't do that! You can't leave this school!"

"YES, I CAN!" I yelled, "And as we speak, my parents are filling and signing the school-transfer certificate."

"No," Zoey repeated, tearing up, "Y-you can't do that, Nikki."

"And WHY NOT?" I asked.

"Because you WON!" Chloe said, tearing up too.

"What do you mean I won?" I asked, "It's clear that I lost. I lost in the war between me and MacKenzie. I lost to MacKenzie in the Avant-Garde Art Competition. I lost to her in everything! I didn't win in anything!"

"NO," Chloe said, "You didn't lose, Nikki! No, in fact in the Art Competition, YOU WON!"

"What?" I asked, "How's that possible? Zoey, you told me that Brandon told you what happened with my painting…."

"Yes, he did," Zoey said, stiil standing in front of the door, "But you have to listen to us, please."

I sighed, "Okay, fine. Just make it quick. I need to get out of this school ASAP!"

"Listen, please don't be even madder at us than you already are," Chloe said, "But we have a confession to make…"

Zoey cleared her throat, "Well, after we heard about the accident with your painting we rounded up the kids with your best tattoo artwork and Brandon took pictures of them during lunch."

My eyes widened.

"The he printed," Chloe said, "out the photographs on the computer in the newspaper office during lunch. Mrs. Peach let the three of us work on your entry the entire afternoon in the library. We called it _The Student Body_."

I couldn't believe it. These guys, whom I thought HATED me, turned out to help me out in the entry? I was stunned. After a few moments of silence, I spoke, "No way! You're kidding, right?"

"No," Zoey smiled, "Come on, we'll show you!"

And with that, Zoey opened the door, and along with Chloe, dragged me out of the janitor's closet. We ran and ran till we reached the very last display. It was my work. MY ARTWORK!

This was the display I missed. The winner wasn't MacKenzie, it was ME!

It was a series of sixteen 8*10 close-up black-and-white photographs of MY inked artwork. There was my tattoo artwork on Zoey's shoulder, Chloe's arm, Tyler's neck, Sophia's ankle, Matt's wrist, and so on.

"OMG! I can't believe it! I WON first place in AVANT-GARDE ART! FIRST PLACE AND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!"

Thanks to Chloe, Zoey and Brandon! That fantabulous display with MY name on it had probably taken hours to complete.

I was SO wrong about them. They were the BEST FRIENDS EVER! And more than a dozen other kids volunteered to be photographed. All of this totally BLEW MY MIND!

Mybe WCD was not such a horrible place after all. I actually had real friens here. And of course it didn't hurt that I was now rich, rich, and rich beyond my wildest dreams!

I just stared at the display. MY display. The only display which had the 1st place ribbon on it.

"Hey," Chloe said, softly, "Do you believe us now?"

I turned to Chloe and Zoey. My eyes were filled with happy tears. I just hugged them.

"You guys," I said, "are just the best friends ever! I can't believe you did this for me!"

Of course, that just made me cry. So Chloe, Zoey and I had a good group cry!

We didn't care that we were making noise.

We didn't care that people were looking at us.

We didn't care that people were thinking that we're maniacs.

All we cared was about our friendship.

Chloe, Zoey and I were back together!

When we finally separated, Zoey asked, "So you're staying, right?"

"My parents," I gasped, "They could be signing the last stuff that I'm leaving! We gotta stop 'em before it's too late!"

Chloe, Zoey and I rushed to the office and I burst inside. Chloe and Zoey stayed out. They knew that it was a matter between me and my parents.

"Mom, Dad! I've changed my mind. I want to stay!"

They both looked surprised.

"Honey, are you okay?" my mom asked, concerned.

"Actually, Mom, I'm GREAT! I've changed my mind. I want to stay! PLEASE!"

"Well, it's up to you. Are you sure?" my dad said, putting down his pen.

"I'm sure. I'm REALLY sure!"

The secretary gathered the papers from my dad, ripped them in half, and tossed them into the wastebasket.

"This is great news!" she beamed, "And congratulations on your first place in the art show! You're coming to the reception for the winners this Saturdays, right? They be giving out the cash awards and the catered dinner is fabulous!"

"Yes!" I nodded.

My parents looked totally confused.

"I thought you said you didn't-" my mom began, but I quickly interrupted her.

"Listen, I'll explain all of this later. Like don't you both have somewhere to be?" I smiled and waved good-bye to the, hoping they would take the hint and go.

Mom kissed my forehead, "Okay, hon! We're glad you've decided to hang in there."

"Yeah," Dad said, "I knew that it'd work out if you gave it a chance."

"Well, I gotta go! Bye, Mom and Dad!" I said and stepped outside.

Chloe and Zoey beamed at me and we did another group hug right there!

Students were starting to fill up the halls and a few actually congratulated me.

I can't believe that a day that had started off so terrible ended up so well!

I had my friends back!

My crush hadn't written me off as a total loser!

I didn't lose in my war against MacKenzie!

I won in the Avant-Garde Art Competition!

What else can I ask for?

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 **TADAAAAAA!**

 **So, did ya like it? This is like my fist one-shot. Anyways, I'm glad Nikki didn't leave the school. I don't like sad endings. It's just NOT my taste.**

 **Anyways, bye!**

 **Hope you have a nice day! Or night! Hehe. ;)**


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